Reflections on Revelation #75

Day 75 

Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” Rev 3:19 NASB.

Though the church is enfeebled and defective it is still the object on earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard. He is constantly watching it with solicitude and is strengthening it by His Holy Spirit. 

The Laodiceans are abounding in material things but are lacking in faith and love.  

The word “love” is rare in the Book of Revelation. Jesus loves us (Rev 1:5), the Ephesians have left their first love (2:4), the church at Thyatira shows a lot of love, patience, and service (2:19). Jesus loves the church at Philadelphia (3:9), the people of God do not love their lives to the point of avoiding death (12:11), and those outside the New Jerusalem love falsehood (22:15). So there seems to be more emphasis in Revelation on reproving and disciplining than on love. That makes this text very important because it shows that while bad things sometimes happen to God’s people, there is a loving hand that guides all things for our ultimate good. We need to be aware of our emptiness and His fullness. 

We live in a world where counselling and psychology have taught us all to be gentle with other people in recognition of our common suffering. We see people’s misbehaviour more as sickness than as sin. And it is certainly true that all of us have been victimized to some degree. But the spiritual outcome of this approach can be an unwillingness to hear rebuke, even when it comes from the mouth of Jesus Himself. We don’t want to hear from a God who will speak harshly to us. But the fact is that Jesus confronts those He loves, and He often confronts hard. Genuine confrontation can save a lot of heartache. Tomorrow I will share a story from Year 9 History that demonstrates the importance of confrontation in the spiritual sense. 

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